In the past week, Berkeley police have handled a felony attack, recovered two guns, and dealt with a spate of street robberies and laptop thefts, amid other enforcement activities, BPD reported Thursday.
The felony battery took place Monday at 4:10 p.m. A man was standing by his vehicle in a parking lot at San Pablo and University avenues when two people attacked him, police said in a prepared statement. Emergency personnel found the 28-year-old man unconscious. They took him to a local trauma center with moderate injuries to his head and face. Police said the case remains under investigation and no further information could be released.
The past week saw multiple street robberies and laptop thefts, too. Last week Thursday, Oct. 18, a woman was inside her tent in the 2000 block of Haste Street when a man tried to pull her outside at 10:10 p.m., police said. When she came out, the man threatened to shoot her if she did not hand over her cellphone and cash. The woman ran off and managed to escape.
“After being alerted by witnesses in the area, officers responded to the scene and were able to locate the suspect a few blocks away,” BPD said. He was identified as 18-year-old Sidney Norris Atkins Jr. of Oakland. Atkins was arrested on suspicion of robbery, police said. He is no longer in custody.
Monday at 9:30 p.m., three people walked up to a woman standing in the 2100 block of Shattuck Avenue and “tried to pull her shopping bag from her shoulder,” police said. There was a struggle, and the robbers managed to get the woman’s bag from her. They ran west on Addison Street. No arrests have been made in the case.
Thursday morning just before 4:45 a.m. two people in a vehicle drove up to a man standing at San Pablo Avenue and Dwight Way and tried to take his recycling, according to the BPD statement. The attempt was unsuccessful.
BPD reported two laptop thefts this week as well. Both took place at local eateries.
Monday at 5 p.m., a man was standing in a restaurant in the 2100 block of Shattuck Avenue holding “a menu in one hand and his laptop in the other,” BPD said. “As he looked at the menu, three suspects surrounded him and took his laptop from his hand. The suspects were last seen running away southbound on Shattuck Avenue.” The next incident happened Wednesday just after 4:20 p.m. Two people went into a coffee shop in the 2500 block of Telegraph Avenue, grabbed a woman’s laptop and ran off.
Police also recovered two guns in the past week while making arrests in South Berkeley.
Sunday just before 9:30 a.m., an officer driving on Adeline Street saw a man make a “hand-to-hand” drug sale at Adeline and Fairview streets: “Although the suspect attempted to elude the officer, the officer detained the suspect nearby. When officers searched the suspect, they discovered he was wearing body armor,” BPD said.
They retraced the man’s flight path and found a handgun hidden in the bushes, along with seven heroin balloons. Police arrested Dejon Lamaur Disburke, 43, of Oakland on suspicion of multiple drug- and gun possession-related offenses. He has been charged but is no longer in custody, according to court records online. Authorities said Disburke, a felon, is not allowed to possess firearms.
Early Thursday morning, police recovered another handgun during a traffic stop.
Just before 1 a.m., police stopped a vehicle at Sacramento and Alcatraz streets. During a search, police said they found a loaded gun under the driver’s seat, as well as some amount of marijuana.
Police arrested Terrance James Smith, 31, of Oakland on suspicion of carrying a loaded concealed firearm. He is no longer in custody, according to court records online.
UCPD also reported a robbery this week, though details are hazy. Wednesday at 9 a.m., the victim told police someone pointed a handgun at him and took money from his pocket somewhere on Shattuck Avenue. The exact location is unknown, UCPD said in a statement Thursday.
The victim told police the suspect shot the gun into the air while fleeing. Neither BPD nor UCPD have been able to confirm any gunfire, BPD said Thursday afternoon.
UCPD said the victim is not a UC Berkeley student and was not injured during the incident.
The case remains under investigation.
